Hatch cover for refrigerator cars



A. G. SANDMAN. HATCH COVER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS.

APPLISATION FILED DEC. 13, I920.

.-R\ m Wm 9.. 2 n 4 Am y w U lllllll ll 0 m fi 4 m i my um I T I II A. G. SANDIVIAN. HATCH COVER FORREFRIGERATOR CARS Patented July 1], 1922.

APPLICATION FILED DEC .I3,1920.

' 'A. e. SANDMAN.

HATCH COVER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I3, 1920.

Patented July 11, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

iaefmdmm A. G. SANDMAN. HATCH COVER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 13. 1920.

Patented July 1], 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

fiweniar 14.613012092761111 m aq m M jfiorreg a citizen of the United States, residing at ATNT FWQZE.

AUGUST G. SANDMAF', OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

HATCH COVER FOR REFRIGERATOR CABS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July 11, 1922.

Application filed December 13, 1920. Serial No. 430,256.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST Gr. SANDMAN,

Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hatch Covers for Refrigerator Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway cars and more particularly to pressed steel hatch covers for refrigerator cars.

It is the object of this invention to provide an outside cover for the hatches in the roofs of refrigerator cars, that is of-extremely strong construction to resist the strains and blows that an outside cover is subjected and that is also of such construction that it may be detachably connected to the inside insulated hatch cover or plug and support the plug in different degrees of partially open position for ventilation and at the same time actas a protective covering.

While the preferred forms of this invention are illustrated upon theaccompanying sheets of drawings yet it is to be understood line 33 of Figure 1,

that minor detail changes may be .made without departing from the scope thereof. In the drawings: f Figure 1 is a. topplan View of a portion of the end of a refrigerator car illustrating one form of an outside hatch cover constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a view in section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, illustrating in dotted lines the inner and outside covers in open and partially open positions.

Figure 3 is a view in section Figures 4 and 5 are v ews in top plan and roof of a refrigerator car of usual construe.

tion. The walls 1 of the hatch extend about i three sides of the opening between the underside of the roof sheathing 2 and the insulated top lining or ceiling 3 of the car'and are shouldered at the bottom to extend over taken on the igures 14 and 15 are and engage one or more layers of the insulahim and hold it against the ceiling, with the fourth m'de formed by the adjacent side plate 4 of the car, the tops of the transverse side walls being shouldered to engage and support correspondingly shouldered transverse hatch timbers 5 with the hatch timbers 6 adjacent the ridge shouldered to rest on the top of the adjacent side wall 1 and the hatch timbers-7 shouldered torest on the side plate 4 with the bottom beveled to retain a layer of side insulation againstthe side plate. and the bottom resting on the to of the side wiling of the car. The to s of t e hatch timbers are parallel to the roo and the bodies increase in thickness from top to bottom, the meeting edges on the interior of the opening being rounded by the insertion of-fillets 8. It is preferable to protect the tops of the hatch timbers by metal strips 9.

The inner insulated hatch cover or plug 10 comprises preferably a wooden frame 11 spacing apart to and bottom walls 12 containing between t em layers of insulation 13, preferably felt paper saturated and coated with asphalt bitumen, and having pads 14 on the outer sides of the frame preferably formed of curled hair covered with canvas, adapted to engage the sloping walls of the hatch timbers making an air-tight closure and maintainin the hatch plug in place below the top of t e timbers.

The outside hatch cover comprises a pressed steel plate 15 having integral flanges 16 on all four sides depending below the top hatclr timbers and a wooden lining comp-rising side members 17 'mured to the cover which are shouldered on the outer edges to rest upon. the hatch timbers and are shouldered on the inner edges-to engage and retain atongue and grooved lining of lesser thickness against the bod of the plate 15.

A wooden hatch plat orm 18 surrounds the hatch from the running board 19 to the adjacent eaves and from the adjacent car. end to a distance beyond the hatch approximately equaling the length of the hatch. The platform is supported above the .roof by wooden strips 20 resting upon the roof from eaves to running board, one against .thehatch timbers on each side of the hatch,

one adjacent the car and and one adjacent the other end of the platform to which the platform is secured by wood screws. The strips 20 are held in place by metal strips 21 bolted to the underside of the running I plate. The platform supporting strip at the *hinged strap pivot pin.

end of the car is bolted to the platform and otherwise secured in place as hereinafter described. A corner grab rail 22 is arranged upon the platform at the corner of the car and is held in place by the downturned ends, being turned inward and perforated to receive bolts passing through the platform and a metal rail supported strip 23 resting on the platform and bolted to the hatch timber at one end and the other end turned downward and bolted through the facia and side plate on the sides and bolted to the end plate at .the end respectively. The corner is supported by a depending leg having an inturned perforated foot bolted through the platform and a supported plate 24 resting thereon the ends of which are bent down over the eaves and car end respectively and secured thereto in the same manner as the ends of the rail supporting strips 23. The rail supporting strips 23 and 24 extending over the car end hold the adj acent end platform support 20 in place.

The batch cover and plug are both hinged to the hatch platform so that both may be readily opened and closed. The hinge butts are so arranged that each affords a pivotal support for both cover and plug. Each butt comprises a fiat base 25 adapted to rest upon the platform with one edge in contact with the adjacent hatch timber and having a central rib extending at right angles thereto. This rib is provided with a projecting ear extending upward within the depending edge of the cover and is perforated adjacent the top of the hatch timber to co-act with a,

similar perforation in a similar car 26 extending from the edge of the base adjacent the middle of the hatch to receive the plug The central rib adjacent its outer end is provided with an upstanding perforated ear co-acting with a similarly perforated similar ear 27 extending upward from the outer corner of the base to receive the hatch hinged strap ivot pin. The base 25 adjacent the hatch timber is provided with a connecting flange or rib between the "plug pin ears extending therebeyond and tapering to the base body. To secure the combined hatch and plug hinge butt, the base is preferably perforated to allow bolts to be passed through the flange and hatch timbers, and through the body of the base between the pivot pin ears with preferably two of such bolts passing through the platform supporting strip adjacent the hatch timbers and platform, and another passing through the platform, a block arranged thereunder, the roof sheathing, and a clamping block on the underside of the roof, as shown in Figure 2.

The hatch cover hinge straps 28 each comprise a strip of metal bent back upon itself about the pivot pin in. the combined hinge butt with the under portion passing through an aperture provided therefor in the depending portion of the hatch cover and engaging the underside of the body of the hatch cover with the other portion resting on the outer surface of the cover and both portions se cured to the cover by bolts or rivets passing through both portions and cover. The straps are also preferablyriveted together between the ivot' pin and cover.

T e hatch plug 10 is preferably attacheu to the combined hinge butts by straps 29 comprising strips of metal bent back upon themselves about the pivot pin and riveted together. The straps pass from the hinge butts over the top of the hatch timbers and are then bent downward within the hatch and along the top of the plug. The under portion of each strip extends beyond the other to a point adjacent the center of the plug, with this extremity bent back upon itself to engage a pivot pin in a plate 30 secured to the plug. The plug which is retained by the sloping walls of the hatch timbers and is cushioned thereagainst, is flexibly connected in this manner to its hinge straps to allow of depression between the hatch timbers as the cushion becomes compressed and is at the same time rotatably about its hinge. To prevent excessive flexibility and to insure the rotation of the plug a retaining strap 31 is placed about each plug strap adjacent the edges of the plug which allows sufficient movement to accomplish the purpose of the flexible connection.

For the .purpose of holding the hatch cover in closed or partially opened position a lock bar 32 and a keeper 33 with a seal pin and chain is provided. The lock bar is in the form of a bell crank lever pivoted to a hinge butt 34 at the middle of the hatch opposite the cover hinges, secured preferably through the platform, supporting strip, roof sheathing and clamping block below the roof, and to the hatch timbers in the same manner as the combined hatch cover and lug hinge butts. The keeper 33 is in the form of a plate having spaced apart upstanding perforated ears" 35 at each end and is secured centrally on the hatch cover to receive the lock bar between the respective pairs of ears with one pair of ears extending beyond the edge of'the cover. The lock bar is perforated at points along its longer arm which perforations are so arranged that when the hatch cover is closed and the bar laid thereon in its keeper one aeaa se perforation in.the bar will be in line with the perforations in the inner ears of the keeper and another perforation in line with the perforations in the outer ears of the keeper. To look the hatch cover in closed position a locking pin is provided, preferably attached by a chain to the hatch cover,

which is adapted to'be passed through the bar and either pair of perforated ears of the keeper and one ear of each pair is provided with a sleeve 36 extending from around the perforation through which the pin degrees of partially raised or open position by assing the pin through the outer ears of the eeper and the desired perforation in the bar, as clearly shown in Figure 2. The hatch cover is provided with two rests 37, one on each side of the keeper 33, adapted to engage the hatch platform when the cover is completely rotated and support it so that the ears of the keeper will'not strike the platform.

The plug 10 is provided with a hand hold in the form of a ring 38 pivotally secured thereto which may be grasped to swing the plug about its hinge. A sliding engagement is provided between'the cover 15 and plug 10 whereby the plug may be supported by the cover in partially raised or opened position. This sliding engagement comprises two tracks in the form of a 2 bar 39, with the flanges of each extending in. opposite directions and with the upper flanges secured to the body of the hatch cover and the lower flanges extending below the lining thereof a sufiicient distance to normally lie over and clear an engaging member 40 in the form of a metal strip attached to the upper surface of the plug having upwardly extending ends adapted,-in certain positions, to ride upon the tracks. The' tracks 39 are of such length and relation to the engaging member that whenthe hatch cover is in its normal closed position there is no engagement between the cover and plug, as shown in full.

lines in Figures 1, 2 and 3, but by swinging both cover and plug about their hinges until the cover rests upon the platform with the plug resting upon the cover and then swingin both together and in contact with each ot er in the opposite direction, as

shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, the engaging member 40 of the plug will slidabl engage the tracks 39 of the cover and wil hold the plug with the cover in partial raised or open. position by the lock bar 31.

In a construction of this character in or- .der that the sliding engagement between the cover and plug function promptly it is necessary that the cover be maintained in its nor-. mal plane for any deformation of the cover, such as buckling, bending, being severely indented or otherwise twisted out of shape, will defeat the sliding engagement and thereby fail to hold the plug in partially raised position. To rigidify the cover to resist deformation and yet allow the cover to be constructed of light material without excessive cost, the cover is formed of pressed steel having one or more corrugations or rigidifying ribs pressed therein. The first three figures show two corrugations 41 crossing. each other between the lock bar keeper and rear edge with each corrugation or rib extending diagonally across the cover. The cover 15 shown in Figures 4 and 5 is provided with a plurality of longitudinal corrugations 42 terminating adjacent the opposite edges of the cover and .with intermediate shorter corrugations 43 extending from adjacent an edge to adjacent the hinge straps 28 and lock bar keeper 33. In Figures 6 and 7 the corrugations 44 are arranged in pairs on each side of the lock bar keeper 33 and terminate adjacent opposite edges of the cover with an intermediate corrugation 45 extending from adjacent the lock bar keeper to the adjacent edge. The cover 15, shown in Figures 8 and 9, is similar to Figure 6 with the addition of another corrugation 46 arranged transversely of the cover oining the parallel corrugations at the rear of the lock bar keeper 33. In these three forms the corrugations or ribsare pressed to extend above the normal plane of the cover and while parallel and extending to adjacent edges of the cover are so arranged as not to interfere with'the hinge straps and lock bar keeper being secured to the body of the cover in its normal plane.

Another form is shown in Figures 10 and 11 in which the cover 15 is rovided with an upstanding rib 47 extending from one side of the lock bar keeper 33 adjacent the edge and continuing about the edges of the cover and terminating at the other side of the keeper 33, with the longitudinal portions 5 connected by transverse rib 48 between the keeper 33 and ends of the hinge straps 28.

In Figures 12 and 13 the strengthening ribs 49 and 50 are in the form of concentric circles while the Figures 14 and 15 'the depression 51 extends from on both sides of the keeper 33to between the hinge strap 28, the opposite edges of the depression being parallel and substantially equidistance from the edges of the cover,

In all cases the ribs pressed from the plane ofthe plate form in eflectchannels and to carry further the similarity, the portion between the plane of the plate and the top of the pressed out body portion act as the 130 lbs flanges of a channel in resistin any bending forces in a direction at rig 1t angles to the body of the rib or web of the channel and will resist the bending, buckling or deforming the cover by indentations.

What I claim is:

1. In a refrigerator car having a hatch- Way in the roof thereof, hatch timbersaboutthe hatch, a hatch plug fitting between the hatch timbers, a hinged hatch cover and means adapted for detachably engaging the plug to the cover.

2. In a refrigerator car having a hatchway in the roof thereof, hatch timbers about the hatch, a hatch plug fitting between the hatch timbers, a hinged hatch cover, means adapted for detachably engaging the plug to the cover and means for supporting the cover in partially open position.

' 3. In a refrigerator car having a hatchway in the roof thereof, hatch timbers about the hatch, a hatch plug fitting between the hatch timbers, a hinged hatch cover, means for supporting thecover in partially open position and means upon the vplug normally out of engagement with the cover adapted to slidably engage the cover and support the plug therefrom with the cover in partially open position.

4. In a refrigerator car having a .hatchway in the roof thereof, hatch timbers about the hatch, a hatch plug fitting between the hatch timbers, a hinged hatch cover, means adapted for detachably engaging the plug to the cover and means flexibly mounted upon the plug for making a hinged connection exterior of the hatch.

5. In a refrigerator car having a hatchway in the roof thereof, hatch timbers about the hatch, a hatch plug fitting between the hatch timbers, a hinged hatch cover, means adapted for detachably engaging the plug to the cover, hinge butts exterior of the hatch, hinge straps pivotally connected thereto flexibly secured to the lug and means limiting the amount of the exibility.

6. In a refrigerator car having a hatchw'ay in the roof thereof, hatch timbers about the hatch a hatch plug fitting between the hatch timbers, a hinged hatch cover, means adapted for detachably engaging the plug to the cover, hinge butts exterior of the hatch, hinge straps pivota-lly connected thereto flexibly secured to the plug, means limiting the amount of the flexibility, means for supporting the cover in partially open position and means upon the plug normally out of engagement with the cover adapted to slidably engage the cover and support the plug therefrom with the cover in partially open position.

7. In a refrigerator car having a hatchway in the roof thereof, tapering hatch timbers about the sides diminishing the sides of the opening, a hatch plug adapted to rest upon the tapering surfaces of the hatch timbers, means allowingindependent vertical movement of the plug pivotally attaching the plug to the exterior of the hatch, a hatch cover pivotally mounted to rest upon the hatch timbers, a lock bar pivotally mounted exteriorly of the hatch, a lock bar keeper to receive the lock'bar secured upon the hatch cover, means on the keeper and'lock bar for locking the hatch in closed position and means for supporting the hatch cover in partially raised position, means upon the hatch cover and plug normally out of contact which, upon swinging the cover and plug to the limit of their rotation and then swinging the two together towards their I normal position, will slidably engage the plug and cover and allow the cover to hold the plug when the cover is maintained in partial raised or openposition.

AUGUST G. SANDMAN. 

